Adding weight

[razorback]

I know from all the posts on here that I am not the only one that misses weight sometimes (read most of the time). Now I'm not talking kids bow here, I'm wondering about that 50#er that ends up closer to 40#. What are some legitimate ways to add weight, not just a band-aid.
I'm building board and slat bows witht  he occassional stave.
let me know what has worked for you guys.

[Pat B]

Board bows are easy. Add a new lam, belly or back but use appropriate woods for each.   Depending on the length and wood used there are a few things you can do. Pike(shorten) the overall length. You can make up 2# to 5# per inch. Tempering the belly(selfbow) and/or adding reflex will give you probably up to 10#...but remember there are trade offs so with each of these methods you are stressing the bow more and unless the tiller is good to begin with you may end up lighter or with more set than before.
   What did you have in mind?

[don s]

removing equal amounts from each limb will increase your poundage. someone else may know how much to remove. also you will have to touch up your tiller as shortening the limbs will change it. another way is to add a backing such as sinew. you can also back with wood such as hickory. bamboo, although not a "wood" is a very popular and excellent choice for backing a bow. don

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I second the bamboo backing, add some weight and a whole lot more zip. If you've already got the profile of the bow done, adding a boo backing would be a simple solution. Just leave the boo about an 1/8" wider than the profile, then glue it up and add a touch of reflex by raising the tips about 2-3", then file down to the edge of your bow profile and retiller.

If it already has a backing then shorten it on each tip, but you would have to cut off quite a bit to gain a whole 10# of draw wt.

[razorback]

Thanks guys.
Those were the sort of things I was thinking of. Could you also  add static recurve tips to gain a few pounds. Of course the added stresses may be too much for the bow anyway.
Pat I didn't have anything particular in mind, i just have a few finished bows and a couple in the works that may end up a little light and was thinking of solutions for them.
Some of the boards I think I will add a belly lam to them. The bellies are flat but rounded into the fades. Would you add the lam and just feather it into the profile of the fades, or flatten the fades and put the lam full thickness through the fade.

[Pat B]

What I did with my 60" osage recurve was grind down the belly flat from recurve to recurve(through the handle) and added 2 Argentine osage lams that butted in the center of the handle. Then I retiller the bow. It gained 10# with these tapered lams that went from 1/8" to nothing. If you have a shaped handle you could fade the lams out on the fades. They only have to be in the working sections of each limb.

[Shaun]

The best way to add weight is not to take it off. This can be a hard lesson and it is amazing how little wood removal it takes to drop five pounds of draw weight. I have ruined or broken some wonderful wood while learning how to "see" the movement of limbs and where to remove wood to make the tiller shape come round. Try to get the tiller and brace profile close while still way over desired weight and then very carefully ease on down to final. If you get really good, you'll make it look easy about half the time - the other half will give you lessons in humility.

[razorback]

Thanks Pat.
I've got one bow with ahandle that has flat belly that goes into fades that have a rounded profile and another that I had to remove the handle from. Will fade the lams into the fades on the first and put the full length lam on the other and build up the handle area.

Shaun, you are so right. I always tell the kids to do it right the first time. Have to learn that myself when it comes to bows, thanks for the reality check.